How much does it cost to climb Denali?

About $15,000 to $20,000 with a guide, all in, or a few thousand dollars on your own. RMI Expeditions charges $13,500 for its 21-day West Buttress climb, and the other licensed companies are in the same range. Add flights to Anchorage, your own cold-weather gear, insurance and tips.

The fixed costs

Everyone pays the Park Service's mountaineering fee: $450 in 2026 and $475 for the 2027 season, or $350 and $375 for climbers aged 24 or younger, plus a $15 park entrance fee.

You must register at least 60 days ahead. The ski-plane flight from Talkeetna onto the glacier and back cost around $750 a person in 2026. A guided price usually includes the permit, the flight, group gear and food on the mountain.

Guided or on your own

Only seven companies are licensed to guide on Denali, and about a third of climbers use one. An independent team pays the fees, the flight, food, fuel and sled hire, which keeps the cost to a few thousand dollars a person, but needs the skills to travel on crevassed glaciers, manage a camp at minus 30 °Cminus 22 °F and rescue each other.

Gear is the hidden cost either way: double boots, an expedition down suit and a sled can come to several thousand dollars if you buy them new.

The fees are kept current on Denali permits and costs, the licensed companies are on Denali operators, and whether to go with one is in Should I climb Denali guided or independently?